Burst pipes, a sinkhole, a water geyser in a suburban street - Wellington's water woes are fast becoming daily disasters.

Dunedin City Council has revealed that one of its failed lead sample tests had in fact returned a level almost 40 times the acceptable limit.

Tonight marks the opening of the Auckland Pride festival which runs until the end of the month. Its largest programme ever, there are 203 events to celebrate the city's rainbow communities.

Council staff are scrambling to contain a 5km long and 300m wide oil slick in a Coromandel bay following a boat blaze there overnight.

An independent review has found evidence of sexual harassment by eight former staff at AUT and heard more than 200 complaints of bullying.

New Zealand could be sent nearly 250,000 doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine before July as part of its deal with an international alliance.

The capital's World of WearableArt show will go ahead this year after the city council agreed to underwrite the event.

There are seven new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand today, including a community case related to the recent outbreak, the Ministry of Health has confirmed.

The government has announced the date of the first Matariki public holiday.

A gang member has been arrested in western Waikato following a police operation targeting organised crime.

A 51-year-old man has been charged with murder following a death in Omanawa, near Tauranga.

Police say WorkSafe is being notified and inquiries are underway.

It is hoped work can start today on sealing off a smouldering mountain of tyres north of Christchurch.

Preparation is underway in case the Covid-19 vaccine arrives earlier than expected, but Pfizer's NZ director can't confirm number of doses to be delivered in the first quarter.

A man has died at a managed isolation facility in Auckland last evening after a medical incident.

Workers will carry out a permanent repair over the weekend to the ageing stormwater pipe that caused a sinkhole under a busy central Wellington road.

Tauranga leaders have high hopes the newly announced commissioners taking over at the city's council will focus on tackling the area's infrastructure issues.

Alarm over falling student achievement has prompted calls for a radical overhaul of the school system.